My mom paid a mechanic to fix her car, and basically he didn't fix it. Should we pursue legal action?

Basically, my mom took her car to a mechanic we've been going to for years. For quite some time now we've been getting the impression that we were getting a raw deal. This time he flat out did not fix the car. He said what (in his opinion) was wrong with it, ordered the parts, and charged my mom for the works. Case in point, it did not fix the problem at all. Not one bit.





She took it to another place, and they found the true problem. They were able to fix it for half the price of what the faulty-mechanic did.





When confronted, the faulty mechanic apologized and expressed feeling badly for not fixing the car, but did not offer any sort of compensation.





Would we be justified in pursuing legal action? Small-claims court perhaps?

My mom paid a mechanic to fix her car, and basically he didn't fix it. Should we pursue legal action?
Part of the cost of an auto repair is the fee for an expert diagnosis. If the mechanic stated before repairs were performed that the action he recommended would correct the complaint that you had with the car, then he has given you an expert diagnosis. It should be worth whatever you paid for it.





Auto repair is as much of an art as a science and a good auto tech will inform you in advance if he thinks that his diagnosis might not be 100% accurate. He should tell you if there is a chance that you may be risking money by performing the recommended repairs. But you should definitely know that in advance.





If you feel like he owes you compensation for expenses that were caused by a faulty diagnosis then you should tell him so in a nice manner. A letter might be better than in person or by phone. It would not be unreasonable for the mechanic to refund to you all the expenses for the repair, perhaps with the exception of his wholesale cost for parts which were installed. You will get some benefit from having the newer parts on your car.





If the mechanic is reasonable with you after being asked then keep using him. Honest and reasonable servicers are difficult to find.





But if he will not stand behind his work then start searching for a better mechanic. And if it is a significant amount of money involved then you might consider legal action. Otherwise, just chalk the expense up to experience.





WK
Reply:Depends on the amount involved.
Reply:do you have the slip,he gave you?if you have anything shows he put the parts on,then take the slip and the car and show it to your attorney.yes you should(if you got proof he didnt put the stuff on like he said he did)
Reply:Depends on the amount. You say the guy did apologize. Live and let live. Move on.
Reply:auto mechanics are notorious for taking advantage of women.yes, file charges against him. it might just shake him up and think twice about doing it again!